Gaza's parliament, civilian ministries are legitimate targets, says Israel

The Israeli military on Tuesday announced that it considers Gaza’s parliament and civilian ministries as legitimate targets in its offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, reported the Associated Press.  The Israeli military said it had also regained control of the border with Gaza.

When asked if Israel considered Hamas’ civil government, such as parliament and ministries, legitimate targets, Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht said “if there’s a gunman firing rockets from there, it turns into a military target.”

Hecht also said there might not be the same “level of fidelity” in warning targets before strikes because Israel’s air force is stretched thin.

 

“Approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas (fighters) were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip,” Hecht told reporters. 

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict with the Palestinians, razing whole districts to dust despite a threat from Hamas militants to execute a captive for each home hit.

Israel’s military said early on  Tuesday that a deputy Israeli commander was killed in clashes on the northern border with Lebanon. The military identified the deputy commander as Alim Abdallah, but did not specify the exact circumstances of his death.

 An Israeli military official said the death toll has now risen above 1,000. 

Gaza’s health ministry said Israel’s retaliatory strikes had killed at least 770 people and wounded over 4,000. 

Meanwhile, General CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned Iran “not to get involved” in Hamas’s attack on Israel. Brown told reporters that a recent US decision to move a carrier strike group and military aircraft closer to Israel was specifically aimed at deterring Iran. 

Iran’s allies in Iraq, Yemen threaten US over intervention in Israel

Senior Iraqi and Yemeni leaders aligned with Iran and in charge of heavily armed groups have threatened to target US interests if Washington intervenes to support Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

In Yemen, the leader of the powerful Houthi Movement warned on Tuesday that the group would respond to any U.S. intervention in Gaza with drones, missiles and other military options.

UAE President orders $20 mn urgent aid to Palestinians

United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed has ordered $20 million in urgent aid to be sent to the Palestinian people, the state news agency (WAM) said.

“The aid, which will be channelled through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,” it added. UAE does not mix trade with politics, the country’s trade minister said when asked whether the conflict would impact economic agreements.

Saudi stands by Palestinians: Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas he was working to prevent “an expansion” of conflict, Saudi state media said on Tuesday. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also told Abbas the Gulf kingdom continued “to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported. However, Prince Mohammed told Fox News last month that the Palestinian issue was “very important” for Saudi Arabia. 
 

Hamas up to ‘something big’, Egypt warned

An Egyptian intelligence official said that Jerusalem had ignored repeated warnings that the Gaza-based terror group was planning “something big” — which included an apparent direct notice from Cairo’s intelligence minister to the prime minister. He said Israeli officials were focused on the West Bank and played down the threat from Gaza. Israel has refuted all reports. The Israel PM Office stated on X, “The report to the effect that PM Benjamin Netanyahu received a mess-age in advance from Egypt is false”.

EU backtracks on Palestinian funding freeze

The European Union said that it’s urgently reviewing the bloc’s assistance to the Palestinians after several member states protested an earlier announcement that aid would be suspended. The commission formally announced the aid review and reversed the suspension, adding that “there were no payments foreseen.” And the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the review “will not suspend the due payments.” The shift came after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reached out to European Council President to express concern about aid sus-pension, according to an official.

Bloomberg

Playboy fires Mia Khalifa over pro-Hamas talk

Playboy has terminated its contract with former porn star Mia Khalifa after she shared comments on social media “celebrating” Hamas’ attack on Israel. “We are writing today to let you know ofour decision to terminate Playboy’s relationship with Mia Khalifa, including deleting her channel on our creator platform,” the firm wrote in a message to users.“Mia has made disgusting and reprehensible comments celebrating Hamas’ attacks on Israel. At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive politicaldebate, but we have a zero tolerance policy for hate speech,” it added.